Small and marginal farmers who cannot afford tractors or heavy machinery rely on manual labor. Sowing seeds or plucking weeds requires bending over at a 90-degree angle for 6 to 8 hours a day under the hot sun. Over time, this leads to debilitating spinal issues and chronic lower back pain. Why address this: The people who grow our food suffer physically for decades, often losing their ability to work in their 50s. Where/Frequency: Frequently in rural agricultural lands across India during planting seasons. Student Innovation relevance: This is a prime mechanical engineering challenge. Students can design lightweight, low-cost, PVC or bamboo-based standing seed planters, ergonomic wearable back-support harnesses made from local materials, or rolling manual weeders that allow farmers to work while standing completely upright.